Types of Back Pain

Types of Back Pain

The important thing to do when you are suffering from back pain is to determine the type of back pain you have. Defining the type of back pain you are experiencing is vital when figuring out how to treat it. The skilled and knowledgable doctors at Pain and Spine Specialists can accurately classify the type of back pain you are experiencing and effectively treat your symptoms.  

You may be wondering what type of doctor for back pain may be best. To treat your pain effectively, you will need a skilled pain management specialist to manage your symptoms.  

Our back and spine specialists will accurately determine the cause of your back pain and develop a treatment plan for your needs.  

Back pain can take a toll on the quality of your life. Many of the symptoms associated with back pain can negatively impact an individual’s mobility and functionality. Our back pain specialists will accurately determine the location of your back and the type of pain you are experiencing.  

Pain and Spine Specialists will thoroughly evaluate your medical history, review your pain symptoms, and review your back pain history. Our providers will safely and ethically manage and treat your pain symptoms to help restore you to a fully functioning life.  

Common Types of Back Pain

The most common type of pain reported is back pain. When you are experiencing back pain symptoms, it is likely you are suffering from one of the common three. The most common types of back pain are: acute back pain, chronic back pain, and inflammatory back pain.  

Based on the duration and cause, these common types of back pain can vary in approach and treatment.  

Acute Pain:

Acute pain is directly related to tissue damage and/or does not last longer than six months. The onset of acute pain can happen suddenly. Typically, this pain is a direct result of a pain inducing event such as surgery, sudden injury (like smashing your finger with a hammer), or dental work. When the underlying source of pain is removed or enough time has passed, pain will subside.    

Chronic Pain:

Pain experienced longer than six months can be characterized as chronic pain.  The pain can be experienced even after the injury or illness has healed. The pain is ongoing and consistently felt. The nervous system remains active with pain signals being sent to the brain. Chronic pain can be linked to things like arthritis, fibromyalgia, back injuries, and never pain. A difficult ramification of chronic pain is the toll it can take on your emotional and mental health. The negative impact can also increase anxiety and depression, compounding the pain sensations.      

Inflammatory Pain:

The body’s immune system will react to injury and/or infection with inflammation. The pain signals encourage the natural healing mechanisms of the body to relieve the symptoms. However, the excessive inflammation ca be painful in itself.  The immune system attacks the joints of the spine which cause the pain symptoms. An effective method to diagnose inflammatory pain is if you receive relief from NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Some common causes of inflammatory conditions that lead to inflammation pain are MS or rheumatoid arthritis.     

We Can Help

Our practice takes pride in our ability to help restore our patients’ quality of life. We are skilled and experienced when determining the type of pain you are experiencing in your upper, lower, or middle back. We are able to discern if your back pain classification falls under axial, referred, or radicular back pain and develop and individualized treatment plan for your needs.  

If you would like more information about our chronic back pain treatments or our doctors, please call Pain and Spine Specialists and speak to our dedicated team to improve the quality of your life. You can call (301) 703-8767 (Maryland), (724) 603-3560 (Pennsylvania), or (540) 433-1905 (Virginia) and schedule an appointment today.